


The Storybrooke Job

by Ultra



Category: Leverage, Once Upon a Time (TV)
Genre: Birthday Presents, F/M, Gen, Gift Giving, Old Friends, Storybrooke, Surprises, With A Twist
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2013-03-17
Updated: 2013-03-17
Packaged: 2018-08-07 12:47:31
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,014
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/7715434
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Ultra/pseuds/Ultra
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>AU S2 OUAT / S5 Leverage - Gold wants the very best Birthday gift retrieved for Belle, so he called a specialist.</p>
<p>(Originally written for hollymac_79)</p>
            </blockquote>





	The Storybrooke Job

“Do we have a deal?” 

The way he said that always made Eliot want to shudder and he didn’t know why. The things the hitter had faced in his lifetime, as a soldier, as a retrieval specialist, he never thought anything could genuinely scare him anymore. Not that he was afraid of an old man like Mr Gold, but there was just something distinctly unsettling about the guy. One day maybe Eliot would figure out why it bothered him more to face this guy than even the great Damien Moreau. For now he would just concentrate on the job at hand.

“That all depends,” he said, clearing his throat to speak. “You know my price, Gold, but this? This is gonna cost extra.”

“I’m not paying for your change of underwear, Spencer,” the old man snarled. “So much for being such a big tough man, I suppose. When it comes to a real job, you lose all your bravery, is that it?”

Eliot’s lip twitched but he didn’t answer. No man ever called him afraid and lived to tell the tale. He didn’t like the fact that he had to stand here and take it from this guy either, but he would. The consequences could be a whole lot worse, he didn’t know how he knew it, but it was there in his head and he had to heed the warning. His instincts never let him down before.

“You add ten percent and I’ll go right now,” he swore. “You’ll have your package within two days, guaranteed,” he promised, holding out his hand.

“Very well,” Gold agreed with a smile akin to a crocodile planning the best way to eat his prey as he took a hold of Eliot’s hand and shook. “The deal is struck.”

* * *

Mr Gold was an impatient man. As Rumpelstiltskin he always had plenty of magic at his disposal to get whatever he wanted at the snap of his fingers. Here in Storybrooke, things were different. It was true that he had brought magic back to their sleepy little town in Maine, but his command of that power was still unreliable. Simple conjures, a small forcefield, the healing of a minor wound, these he could manage, but tearing open portals to other worlds, fighting through dangers untold to get to what he wanted, these were still things beyond his ken for now.

With Belle’s birthday coming up, he knew he must have something special to present her with. She would settle for something simple, his darling girl. Quite happy was she with a simple bunch of flowers or a well-chosen book, but Gold wouldn’t hear of it. He wanted her to have everything, anything, the world at her feet. Somehow even here he would find a way to make that happen. If it meant putting a little trust in others, so be it. Eliot Spencer fought for the side of good these days, so he said, but Gold knew very well he straddled either side of the line just the same as he did. No-one ever completely came back from that. Such a thing would be impossible.

“You keep doing that,” said Belle, catching Gold’s attention and alerting him to the fact he had just absently checked his watch for the tenth time in as many minutes. “Do you have a meeting to go to or something?” she asked, unfolding herself from the armchair and placing her book down on the table.

“Not exactly,” Gold replied, smiling the moment he looked at her as he always did. “More that I’m expecting a delivery of a kind,” he explained.

“A delivery?” echoed Belle looking at him in a suspicious way. “This doesn’t have anything to do with my birthday being tomorrow, does it?” she asked.

“Your birthday?” said Gold with badly faked surprise. “Is it really? I’d quite forgotten.”

“You do like to tease me,” Belle laughed prettily, just as a knock came at the front door.

She rose to go and answer it, but Gold gestured for her to stay where she was.

“You don’t want to spoil your surprise now, do you, dearie?” he told her. “Why don’t you go upstairs, treat yourself to a long hot bath whilst I deal with the man at the door?” he suggested.

“Fine,” she rolled her eyes as if the whole thing were a huge inconvenience, but kissed his cheek anyway before disappearing up to the bathroom.

Gold made his way to the front door, not speeding up at all, even when the knocking became more frantic. He was paying for a service and Spencer very nearly hadn’t delivered on time. He would not hurry for his sake.

The sight of Eliot was not so shocking to Gold but might’ve been to anyone else. Scratch marks across his face that had been evenly slashed by claws. Strips of make-shift bandage wrapped at the top of one arm and down near the opposite knee proved deep cuts were present elsewhere too. If the bloody wounds were not so apparent, the dirt and bruises certainly were. This whole thing had been a struggle, as Gold knew it would be. It was what he was paying such a high price for.

“Your package,” said Eliot, without a word of greeting, as he dumped the wooden box into Gold’s arms.

“Have you opened it?” he checked.

The retrieval specialist shook his head.

“Not mine to open,” he replied. “Now where’s my money.”

“Ah, yes. I do owe you a debt,” Gold smiled that evil smile again, carefully placing the box inside the front door.

He reached down behind the coat stand there, and swiftly handed over a smart leather bag to Eliot. A glance inside proved all the money was there.

“A pleasure doing business with you, Spencer, as always,” he told him, not a hint of authenticity in his tone.

“Likewise,” Eliot lied just the same. “But Gold? Next time, do me one favour,” he said as he began to back up off the porch and down the steps. “Warn me about the damn dragon!”


End file.
